What Did Jesus Call Joseph?

A number of years ago, I received the following inquiry.

We had a discussion in Sunday School about what Jesus called Joseph. We know that he call Mary Mother, but we don't think he called Joseph Father. We think he just used Father when he was talking to/about God. What do you think?

My response:

Here are my thoughts regarding your question. Pass it around if you like, but remember my word isn't the last word. I simply submit to you my thoughts.

If the class doesn't think Jesus called Joseph father, how did He address him? Were there any suggestions? I can only guess that this question stems from one of two things: Jesus' statement in Matthew 23:9, or a belief that Joseph was somehow less than a "real" father to Jesus since there wasn't a genuine biological connection. (I reject both.)

Though we have no record of Jesus ever addressing Joseph at all, I believe it is safe to "assume" that Jesus addressed him in the manner that was appropriate and respectful. For Jesus would certainly follow the 6th Mosaic command to honor father and mother (Ex. 20:12).

We must also remember that while Joseph was not the physical father of Jesus, he certainly was Jesus' legal father and he functioned as both legal and physical father in all normal aspects of fatherhood apart from conception.

We have no grounds to assume that there was any type of sibling rivalry which is often the case today in "step-parent/step-child" relationships. Neither do I have reason to believe that Jesus ever said, "I don't have to do that, you're not my father!" or that Joseph ever said something like, "If you were my child, I'd . . . " I say this because I believe Jesus treated Joseph exactly like a biological father should be treated according to Mosaic law - with honor. Granted, I'm arguing from silence here, but from the other aspects of Jesus' life and personal relationships, I think it is safe to draw such conclusions.

So, how did other children respectfully address the man to whom their mother was married? The only thing we see in the New Testament for this relationship is the word father. In the New Testament the only Greek word used for this person is "PATER". There are NO exceptions regardless of who is speaking, Jesus or "regular" people.

I think there are two important issues to pursue so that we can understand this question: the particular context of the "prohibition" and Jesus' acceptance or rejection of the use of the word "father" elsewhere in the Scripture.

First, let's deal with the latter. Immediately, Matthew 8:21 comes to mind. In this passage Jesus is dealing with a certain scribe about the COST of true discipleship, a small part of the cost being "leaving everything behind." Then another of the disciples interrupted by saying, "First, let me go bury my father." Jesus' response was not, "Don't address anyone on earth as father!" Why? Because the context and issue at hand was different than that in Matthew 23.

Also in Matthew 15:4-6 we see Jesus himself quoting the commands which had been penned by God and brought down from Sinai by Moses: "Honor your father and your mother; and He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death." In this case Jesus is rebuking those who had abused their responsibility toward their parents, thus breaking the command. If, as some assume from His statements in Matthew 23, we should never refer to our male parent as father, why did Jesus not CORRECT rather than PROTECT what Moses delivered? He couldn't because there isn't anything intrinsically wrong with addressing the man married to your mother (whether you are his physical descendant or not) as "father." Family relationships are not at stake in Matthew 23.

If family relationships are not at stake in Matthew 23, then what is going on? Jesus is giving a scathing assessment of the religious leaders of the day. He summarizes their offenses in verse 5, "All their works they do to be seen by men." In other words, they are hypocrites seeking vain glory and honor from those over whom they have charge. They are seeking titles of power and prominence in this world.

Notice the three titles he forbids: rabbi/teacher, father, leader. All of these could be considered "power positions" in this context which are NOT forbidden elsewhere in Scripture. In fact, the writers of Scripture use them in a positive sense. For example, Paul writes to the Ephesians that "teachers" were given to the body for her edification. As mentioned above, Jesus positively quotes the 6th command which identifies the male parent as "father".

Jesus is trying to underscore for the multitudes and disciples the distinction between true religious faith and religious "power brokering." Jesus says: "You are all brethren (vs. 8)." "He who is greatest among you shall be your servant (vs. 11)." "He who humbles himself shall be exalted (vs. 12)." He is highlighting the abusive power system that was in place and exhorting the people to breakout of such by recognizing their teacher, leader and father who comes from heaven. Those whom they were currently following were certainly not from heaven.

If we understand this prohibition in this manner, then we can easily reconcile both Jesus' and other NT writers' positive use of these terms with Jesus' command not to use them in Matthew 23.

The application for us today is very real. Many men and women fill positions of church leadership as religious power brokers. In many cases there is no difference between our day and Jesus'. Therefore we should receive Jesus' warning not to follow in the footsteps of those who abuse their position for the purpose of being seen by men. Neither should we submit to such phonies.

Friday Foto: Day of Atonement 2007

Leviticus 16 NKJV

Now the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered profane fire before the LORD, and died; and the LORD said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.

“Thus Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering, and of a ram as a burnt offering. He shall put the holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body; he shall be girded with a linen sash, and with the linen turban he shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore he shall wash his body in water, and put them on. And he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering.

“Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house. He shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the LORD’s lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering. But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness.

“And Aaron shall bring the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull as the sin offering which is for himself. Then he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from the altar before the LORD, with his hands full of sweet incense beaten fine, and bring it inside the veil. And he shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the Testimony, lest he die. He shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

“Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness. There shall be no man in the tabernacle of meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself, for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel. And he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD, and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around. Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, cleanse it, and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.

“And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat. Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.

“Then Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of meeting, shall take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy Place, and shall leave them there. And he shall wash his body with water in a holy place, put on his garments, come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people. The fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar. And he who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. The bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp. And they shall burn in the fire their skins, their flesh, and their offal. Then he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.

“This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you. For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever. And the priest, who is anointed and consecrated to minister as priest in his father’s place, shall make atonement, and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments; then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary,[a] and he shall make atonement for the tabernacle of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year.” And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.



More photos available here.

Foto Friday: Thou Shalt NOT...!

Learning the Language

We recently received a family update from friends who live in Spain. Like us, they are Americans living abroad in a primarily non-English environment. Also like us, they have a child that is just starting school, and the language of instruction is not in English, the language of the home.

They wrote of the challenge their son is having at school because he doesn't understand the language, but added, "...hopefully in time, that will improve..." In most cases that I'm aware of, it does improve, and usually pretty quickly. We have the same hope for Grace and some of her friends who are going through this transition.

At this moment, Grace is sitting at the kitchen table looking at a book, pretending to read Hebrew. She's making Hebrew sounds and occassionally offers a complete sentence that she remembers us reading to her from one of the Hebrew books we have recently given her. Now, she's hollering into the other room in English: "Mama, come here, please!"

Our friends asked us to continue prayng for their son, "that he'd pick up the language quickly." And we offer the same prayer request to our friends: that Grace will pick up the language quickly.

From 20 Floors Above

We laid sod in our yard on July 23, which means we have had grass for 37 days. In those 37 days, our upstairs neighbors have contributed a number of interesting and not-so-interesting things to the new look of our yard. Some of their contributions were intentionally thrown out their windows or balconies, while other things were simply blown from said windows or balconies.

Each morning is a new adventure, almost a treasure hunt, as I lay out the water hoses and see what kinds of things I'll find. So, far, this is what I've found:
Apple: 1, half eaten;
Baby wipes: countless;
Balls: 3;
Burger and fries meal: 1, half eaten;
Cigarette butts: countless;
Coffee cups: 11, paper;
Coke bottles: 2, 1.5 liter plastic;
Cotton swabs: 7, used;
Disposable diapers: 2, used;
Dog food bowl: 1, steel;
Food container: 1, plastic (Tupperware-like);
Glass vase: 1, broken;
Gum: 2, chewed; 1, un-chewed;
Hair removal wax: 1 blob, hair included;
Latex glove: 1
Lollipops: 2, half eaten;
Peach: 1, half eaten;
Peach Pits: 2;
Plum: 1, half eaten;
Popsicle wrappers: 3;
Receipts: 2;
Rubber snake: 1, small;
Shekels: 100;
Toilet paper: used #2;
T-shirt: 1, mens;
Tuna cans: 2, empty;
Underwear: 1, boys;

Happy 42nd

We combined family day with my birthday and went to the zoo today. It was really sunny and hot and the animals were secluding themselves in the shade, so there wasn't much to see. But just getting out with the family is a great gift, one for which I am very thankful.

After the zoo, we went to Spaghett'im downtown. I had my usual: spaghetti with meat sauce. I guess it's a holdover from my childhood. Back then I always chose Spaghetti Warehouse as my birthday restaurant. That was before it had expanded into a chain restaurant and I think it was better back then. Every year, I chose the same dish: spaghetti with meat sauce. I think one time I chose meat balls, but it wasn't as enjoyable for me. The spaghetti was good, but I think my favorite part of the meal was the sourdough bread. Wow, I would like to have a bite of that right now!

The atmosphere of the original location was great: the San Francisco trolley, the game area with "antique" popcorn cart in the front, drinking from jars. All neat stuff. I think the next time we are in Dallas, I'll take the girls for a survey trip to The Old Spaghetti Warehouse. I wonder if it is as good as it used to be.

More fun stuff: After dinner, the girls made me a carrot cake (my favorite) and sang happy birthday. This has been a great day.

For a Miracle: Pass It On

I did what you told me...I sent it to 10 of my friends...I'm still waiting for my miracle...

Foto Friday: Team Israel Between Innings

Getting the guys focused and hyped is my job when we come off the field and head to the plate: "Alright, guys - great effort in the field. Now, lets get some runs. 1,2,3, Israel!"

This foto is courtesy of Johnny Mueller.

A Wedding Dress

Before we were married, Colleen was living in Czech Republic and I was living in Israel. Since we planned to live in Israel after our wedding, we decided that Colleen would bring her stuff to Israel and then, we would fly to Texas for our wedding. Our flight out of Israel was exactly 12 hours after Colleen arrived from Czech Republic, which isn't quite enough time to see the sights.

When we arrived in Texas, very few details for our wedding remained to be arranged since most were either taken care of abroad, or, alternatively, by friends in Texas. Among the details that were managed from abroad was Colleen's wedding dress, which she had custom made in Czech Republic. It was beautiful, inexpensive and hand carried. We didn't take the chance of having it damaged or lost in checked baggage; and it came in handy as we went through airport security at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.

Usually, Israel is a destination point, not a transit country. That being the case, I suspected that her flying from Czech Republic to the United States via Switzerland and Israel might raise some serious concerns for the security team at Ben Gurion. Particularly, if she was in Israel only 12 hours. That's just not a normal route.

When our turn came to go through security at Ben Gurion, we approached the counter expecting to be given the "full treatment." It seemed reasonable given our particulars: we're not Jewish, we're not Israeli, and Colleen had only been in the country 12 hours. The agent who handled us was thorough, but courteous, which was appreciated. As he quickly moved from question to question, he finally arrived at the standard, "where are you going and why" questions.

"Well, we're going to Texas to get married," I answered. He smiled as if he had finally found a chink in our armor and asked,"Can you prove that you're going to Texas to get married." As quickly as I noticed the look in his eye, the answer came to me: "I can't prove that we're going to get married, but we do have a pretty good clue. She has her wedding dress!" I responded. "Can I see it," he countered as we seemed to be sparring now. So, with great fanfare, I "jabbed" him: "Sure! But in our tradition, I can't see her dress before the wedding, so give me a chance to turn around!" Colleen pushed the garment bag toward our interrogator as I spun away. The timing was so perfect it had to be choreographed. But it wasn't.

Apparently weakened by my ability to verbally spar, or more likely realizing that we were telling the truth, he delicately opened the bag just enough to peak inside. Upon recognizing that it was, in fact, a wedding dress, he blushed and quickly zipped the bag closed and said, "Okay, you can go." And, as quickly as he zipped the bag closed he covered our bags with security stickers and moved us on to the ticket counter.

That was it: One of our easiest journeys through airport security. The interview lasted only a few minutes and the issue of Colleen's 12 hour transit in Israel never came up. I felt victorious. Colleen was just happy that I didn't get us dragged into the back room for the extra special attention offered to shady characters.

Next stop: Newark.

Friday Foto: Safe or Out? Pt. 2

The next frame following the foto from last week.

I like this photo because of the way the action is stopped: Both the runner and fielder are captured in mid-air. The runner because he has continued running at full force in an effort to beat the throw. The fielder is trying to avoid a collision at the base, so he pushes himself up and back after contacting the bag.

NOTE: The umpire called the runner out.

A Great Compliment

After we arrived from our recent trip to Italy for the European Baseball Championship, I received a great compliment. It is common for players or their families to say thanks for my efforts as a coach, but this one was different.

Unlike any other teams that travel to the European Championship tournament, Team Israel is required by the government to travel with a special security team. The guys that travel with us have always been very professional, which isn't surprising since they are the Israeli equivalent of the US Secret Service. Rarely have they ever understood or been interested in baseball, but they did their job well all the same. And I appreciate that fact.

This year, after we had gathered our luggage at Ben Gurion Airport, one of our agents approached me and said, "Craig, I want to thank you for what you do, and I don't mean the baseball. That was good, but I'm talking about preparing these guys for life. Thank you."

That "thank you" meant more to me than many others that I have received over the years. Sometimes the "thank yous" are obviously heart felt and are greatly appreciated. Others, however, are clearly just the socially expected behavior.

What made this one different were two things: First, the source: Our security agents see a different side of life than most of us would be comfortable knowing about. They, for the most part, have dedicated their lives to insulating the rest of us from the nasty underside of the world. Second, the observation: This particular agent recognized that my baseball training program is geared toward making my players better baseball players and better people. Better students. Better soldiers. Better citizens. Better husbands.

Perhaps, I have accomplished more than I thought.

Jury Duty

Jeromy Jackson of Morgantown, West Virginia, is suing McDonalds for $10,000,000.

Here's the short version: On their way home to watch a movie, Jeromy, his mother Trela and friend Andrew Ellifritz stopped at a McDonalds drive-thru for a quick bite to eat. When ordering their meals through the drive-thru speaker, Jeromy allegedly informed the order-taker that he DID NOT want cheese on his burgers because he is allergic to cheese. According to his lawyer, Jeromy also told at least two other workers "face to face" that he couldn't have cheese because of allergies.

Assuming he had done enough to protect his own life, Jeromy and company drove home, entered a darkened room where they planned to watch a movie, and without inspection tore into the meal.

Almost immediately Jeromy started to have allergic reactions because there was, in fact, cheese on his burgers. He was rushed to the hospital and "was only moments from death or serious injury by the time he reached the hospital."

Jeromy's lawyer, Timothy Houston, said, "By my count, he took at least five independent steps to make sure that thing had no cheese on it. And it did [have cheese] and almost cost him his life." Therefore, the trio, deserve $10,000,000: Jeromy for almost dying and the other two for risking their lives rushing him to the hospital.

If I'm on the jury, I'm probably getting dismissed at this point, because I would likely start muttering to myself or out loud: "Maybe he took at least five independent steps to make sure that thing had no cheese on it, but what about the sixth and MOST IMPORTANT step?" Why didn't he look at the thing just to make sure it didn't have cheese?

Doesn't it make more sense that if he is deathly allergic to cheese that he would inspect his sandwich BEFORE eating it? And if he didn't, wouldn't that be reckless behavior?

At some point, personal responsibility has to kick in. If McDonalds had advertised "hypo-allergenic hamburgers" and then hid the cheese in the burger, that would be one thing. But that isn't what is being alleged. That McDonalds mistakenly gave the man a cheeseburger is what is being alleged.

McDonalds pushes out lots of burgers everyday (many of them cheeseburgers); and the chance that a cheeseburger may be put into the wrong wrapper or the wrong bag is, it seems to me, fairly high. For a deathly allergic person to eat at McDonalds seems risky to me, but for that same person to not check his food before eating is without question, highly risky behavior.

According to Jeromy's lawyer, McDonalds offered to pay half, then all of Jeromy's $700 medical expenses, but the trio was not interested in that offer and McDonalds wasn't offering anything more than the medical expenses. That being the case, apparently the only resolution is $10,000,000. If I'm on the jury, Jeromy would regret the decision to reject McDonalds' initial offer.

However, my prediction is that one of two things will happen: First and most likely, due to the high cost of defending themselves in a trial, McDonalds will settle out of court for a million or so. We probably will not find out due to secrecy agreements. Or, the jury will award a ridiculous amount to the plaintiff rewarding him for his reckless behavior. This seems to be the pattern of juries these days.

To read the whole story (without my commentary) see here.

Foto Friday: Safe or Out?

I took this photo at the Cadet European Championship Qaulifier in Reggio di Callabria, Italy.

In this photo, the batter and first baseman arrived at the same moment. Your task: Make the call! Safe or out?

Guess Who Called Tonight

In the unlikely event that you guessed former Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, you would be absolutely correct. As you might imagine, I was quite surprised to hear him say, "Bibi Netanyahu is speaking." But when it sank in, I hung up on him like I do every telemarketer.

Yes, the political season is once again upon us and Bibi has a recorded message warning us of the terrible dangers of the left and the dramatic need to elect him. I know this because the second time he called (about 30 minutes after the first time), I listened a bit longer so that Colleen could hear him. She was a little skeptical when I told her Bibi had called, so it was good that he called back.

Lest you think I'm being too harsh on Bibi, you may be comforted to know that I'm an equal opportunity "hanger-upper" when it comes to telemarketers - ANY telemarketers. Recently, I was told to expect a test call for a telemarketing project that our church may undertake. My response: "If they call me, I'll hang up on 'em." So, it matters not if you are a former prime minister hustling votes, a church trying to recruit me, or you are selling the latest greatest whatever, I'll hang up on you. So, don't call - especially if you are a recording.

Jewish Star - Star of David

I received the following email from a friend who thought I would enjoy it. So, I offer it for your consideration.

"Even if you are not Jewish, this is really amazing. The Jewish Star (of David) is also referred to as a MAGEN DAVID.

ALL 24 LETTERS OF THE HEBREW ALPHABET ARE FOUND IN A MAGEN DAVID (Star of David).

THERE IS NO SUCH THING IN ANY OTHER LANGUAGE."

For those that don't know Hebrew, the aleph (first letter, top right) is a bit of a stretch, but the other letters seem to be more or less accurate.

Interestingly, the original author mentions 24 letters rather than the standard count of 22 because he is counting the altered form of the "mem" and "nun," which occurs when either of those letters are the last letter of a word.

I'm not sure if there are any big implications in this, or if it is just an interesting coincidence. I'm sure some will see this as a sign of something. But what? If you see something, please let me know.

Feedback

She approached me just before the service started and said, "I want to give you some feedback from what you said last week. It's good to get feedback." At that moment, I had that funny feeling in my stomach that said, "Oh boy, what did I say that needs to be corrected? And why now?" As everything went into slow motion, my mind worked overtime trying to figure out what I said that might have been controversial or problematic. I couldn't think of anything.

Those who have been in ministry for any length of time, have probably had the same type of negative experience. You know, the kind where a person feels obligated to approach you and tell you that you didn't say something well, or that they disagree with what you said. That's what "feedback" usually means. And, this almost always occurs just moments before the service is supposed to start, or when you are in the middle of something that needs your undivided attention.

"Something you said last week has stuck with me all week. I was really challenged when you told us that we need to be conscientious of how we speak to God and others. I really needed that reminder. Thanks."

In a rare use of the word "feedback," she wanted to compliment and thank me for something I said the week before. Some days you just need that type of feedback.

Psalm 19:14 - "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." (ESV)

A Big Real Estate Developer Goes Under

Last week, Heftsiba, one of the largest developers in Israel may have gone bankrupt. I say may have, because they haven't officially filed for bankruptcy, but the signs seem to be very apparent.

As it turns out, our new apartment is part of one their development projects. So, although we (or, actually, our landlord) are much more fortunate than many of our would be neighbors, we will feel some of the effects of Heftsiba's financial woes.

Our new apartment is one of 58 apartments in a 22 floor tower. And our tower is one building within a 6 building complex at the entrance of an area of Jerusalem between Ramat Rachel and Bethlehem, called Har Homa.

Our tower is about 60% occupied, and the other 5 buildings in our complex were 0% occupied. I say "were" because on Thursday morning before security arrived, people started taking up residence in apartments they had purchased from Heftsiba. (News of the potential collapse of Heftsiba started circulating late Wednesday PM and throughout the night.) Even without water and electricity, they were staking their claim, attempting to show residence, which means the developer has to go to court to get them out. From what I overheard down on the street, the "squatters" were trusting that their receipts of payment and technically residing in the building would save their large financial investment, which in some cases was more than $300,000.

It's a complicated issue to understand, particularly for an outsider, but from what I understand, those who haven't formally received the keys to their apartments, will most likely never get possession of those apartments even though they have paid for them. In Israel, receipt of the keys is the formal process of transferring ownership from the developer to the buyer.

In an effort to show sympathy for their plight and to find out more information, I have gone down and circulated among the most effected people on a number of occasions. I've been able to talk with a few of them and even meet some of the greatly relieved tenants of our building, all of whom have said with a sigh of relief, "Just last week we got our keys."

As a result of this new development, some of the promised amenities for our building will apparently not be realized. We have three elevators in our building, but only one is open. I've been told that the other two will not be opened now. Apparently, the planned fitness center will not be completed either. Finally, the dues to a general building fund for upkeep of the building may increase since the original amount was based on a certain number of occupants, which apparently will not be realized now. That may mean an increase of about $75 per month for us, but that is yet to be determined.

I feel kind of weird even mentioning these things because they are, at most, mere inconveniences for us. And nothing compared to those who haven't received their keys and may have lost everything.

You can read some of the local (English) press reports on this story at:
JPost
Ha'Aretz
Arutz7

UPDATE:
According to this JPost report, Bank HaPoalim (our bank) is going to ask the court to release all of Heftziba's assets to the bank. Additionally, they may try to faciliate the completion of the various building projects, which may be good news for all parties concerned.

More from Ha'Aretz.

(08-06-07)UPDATE:
This JPost article gives a better explanation of the process, though, they mention a 15% deposit, which doesn't match the numbers I'm getting from the would-be homeowners in our neighborhood.

(08-07-07)UPDATE:
This Ha'Aretz article offers some good news for those who haven't yet received their keys.

Catching Up

Is it reasonable to say that I have been so busy that I haven't had time or energy to write? Whether it's reasonable or not, it's definitely the truth.

Since I last wrote, I/we have:
1. Moved apartments,
2. Started umpiring in a professional baseball league,
3. Traveled to Italy for the European Baseball Championship,
4. Planted 150 meters of sod in our new yard,
5. Preached,
6. Guided a small group,
7. And everything else I normally do.

Each of these things has been some combination of mentally, physically and emotionally draining.

In spite of my lack of actual blog productivity, I have a number of blog ideas that will find their way into a draft to be presented here. I want to write about my experience as an umpire in a start up professional baseball league, things we have learned while living in an apartment tower for the first time, how I got fined for bad conduct by our new building manager, why it is so draining to move from one apartment to another in Israel.

Gone for a Moment, Gone Forever

This morning, I needed to move Grace's car seat from my truck to Colleen's car, but realized I didn't have Colleen's key only after I had the seat out of my truck. So, I sat the seat down on the driveway beside the car door and ran inside to get the key. On my way back out the door, the phone rang and I was detained about 5 minutes, which was plenty of time for someone to come by and take Grace's car seat. I was gone for only a moment and Grace's car seat is gone forever.

I've already had to wrestle with a lot of emotions. I felt violated on behalf of my daughter. I honestly think it would have been a softer blow had the thief taken something of mine and not Grace's. Particularly, a safety device like her car seat.

It's hard to estimate what a 3 year-old will perceive in situations like these. In this case, Grace thought she was somehow at fault and said, "Sorry, Papa, it's my fault he took my seat." I was really angry that he stole our stuff and forced us to change the plans of our day, but I was more angry that his actions gave Grace cause to feel guilty, in spite of the fact that she was the victim. I searched the neighborhood for a short while, but never saw any trace of the thief or the seat. In the big picture, it is probably better that I didn't find him. Replacing the car seat was not cheap, but I have no doubt it was much cheaper in every way than a physical altercation with the thief would have been.

The response that worries me the most is the result of my neighbor identifying the thief as an Arab: racism. I use that word cautiously and in a very nuanced way. After all, I have some very good friends who are Arabs whom I trust without reservation. I don't think all Arabs are thieves, but have struggled today, with thoughts of keeping an eye out for any Arabs in our neighborhood. Few areas in Jerusalem are integrated, and we live in a Jewish area. So, the default attitude in our neighborhood is that any Arabs in the area are suspect. Even though Arabs regularly work in the neighborhood, because they don't live here, they are suspect? They are assumed either to be stealing stuff themselves, or casing the area for the benefit of their friends. My experience today, encouraged me to embrace such assumptions wholesale. That bothers me.

I've struggled with thoughts about an elderly Arab man, a day laborer that comes by every few weeks asking to work in the garden. His "sales pitch" is the same every time: "I need some work. I have 10 kids and no food in the house." It's a compelling story, particularly to those who really want helping others to be one of their core values. However, the first time he came by, I didn't have any work for him, but I did give him some money for food. Enough money, in fact, to feed his family of "10 kids" for a couple of days. I explained to him that I was giving this to him because I love Jesus and I wanted to bless him. His response was stunning: He started cursing me, saying that what I gave him wasn't enough. And this, in spite of the fact that it was more than he could earn in a day AND he was getting it without lifting a finger.

He has come to mind many times today, and I've wondered if he really is in need of work, or that's just his "pass" to move through the neighborhood looking for things that can be lifted by his friends. There's no direct connection between this man and what happened today. At least, not that I'm aware of. It's not like I leave Grace's car seat on the driveway next to the car on a regular basis, so he couldn't report that to his friends. But still he has come to mind many times. That bothers me.

Finally, I've wrestled with the meaning of Jesus' words in Matthew 6:19-20: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (NKJV)." Do my reactions to this event indicate that Grace's car seat was a treasure laid up here on earth? Obviously, I want to say "no." But, I wonder. There seems to be a fine line between "laying up treasure here on earth" and being careful about the resources the Lord has given into our care. And I want to better understand the difference between the two.

Photo Op at The Western Wall

During the Passover holiday, I had an enjoyable and (like always) interesting visit at the Western Wall. Unsurprisingly, there were more people at The Wall than on ordinary days, which is always pleasing to my senses. I really enjoy the hustle and bustle of activity at The Wall during the holidays.
As I sat facing The Wall, I generally tried to lock in on a particular area and wait patiently for a good photo-op to present itself. This approach generally draws the attention of the more religious and creates a situation of them watching me watch them. Almost a standoff to see who will reveal their interest in the other first. Who is more interested in what the other is doing, me or them?

Due to the personal nature of prayer, even at a large public venue, I try to be discreet in taking photographs at The Wall. I realize that some people don't want their picture taken at all, while others, for the sake of public appearance, pretend to not want their pictures taken. Others don't mind at all, and sometimes even ask to have their picture taken. I ran into such a situation on my last photo shoot at The Wall: some wanted me to take pictures, others didn't.

I'm naturally a people watcher. And, since I was scouting for good photo opportunities, my senses were extra sharp. I was sitting, facing the wall, so I couldn't see what was happening behind me, but from certain movements among the Haredi (ultra-orthodox) guys at the wall, I could tell something big was developing. I could see men "nonchalantly" relocating. Some were moving chairs and tables and children as if to make room for a group of guests. And the crowd in this particular area of the The Wall was starting to grow in number and anxiety.

Suddenly from behind me on the right a wave of men dressed in the standard issue black and white uniform flowed toward The Wall in a way I had never seen before. In the front of that wave of people was an elderly man whom I could tell was the reason for the crowd and the anxiety. The crowd that was already at The Wall opened up to allow this apparently holy man to approach The Wall in the way I envision the Red Sea opening up to allow Moses and the children of Israel to pass. As soon as I saw the wave of people moving in from my right, I got to my feet and tried to position myself for some good shots of whatever it was that was happening. But I was too late because just as quickly as the wall of people opened, it closed, and the special guest was sealed inside, safely within the admiration of his followers and protected from people like me.
The crowd continued to swell as word of the man's arrival spread. I could feel myself being pushed further and further away from the guest of honor, but I was determined to find an open view of that man, whoever he was. I moved around the mob, first left, then right, looking for a view. Finally, on the far right, I was able to weave my way in front of some of the more timid onlookers and see him, face close to the wall, prayer book in hand, moving back and forth as he prayed.
Perhaps the most interesting thing in the whole process, was that a group of teenagers had made their way close to the elderly man and were serving, for lack of a better word, as his posse. It seemed that their responsibility was to keep people like me at a distance, or at least block my view. And once they saw me raise my camera, they went into action. They never approached me, they simply crowded together in a way that blocked my view. Well, most of the time. They were in a dilemma: should they give more attention to me, or to praying with their leader? So, as they bobbed back and forth in prayer, occasionally looking back over their shoulders as a warning to me, they occasionally gave me clear views of The Man.

After I had taken all the shots I wanted, I went and sat down where I was sitting when the wave of people appeared earlier. Apparently, a number of The Man's followers had noticed my efforts to get his photograph because several were now focused on me. After a few moments, one of them approached me and politely explained to me how improper it was for me "to take photographs of such a holy man." I asked for The Man's name, but he only said, "this is a different world from yours. He is a revered teacher and it isn't nice to take his picture, so don't take any more pictures."


As I sat thinking about that brief conversation, another of the "Holy Man's" admirers approached me. However, unlike the previous fan of The Man, with a big smile on his face the second man asked, "Did you get some good pictures of him?" "Yes," I answered. "Do you know who He is?" "No, perhaps you can tell me," I offered. "He's a very famous teacher. Do you think you got some good pictures?" "Yes," I assured him. "Well, if you got some good pictures, would you send me a couple? You should try to get some more. Try from the other side and send those to me, too." I entered my phone number in his mobile phone so that he could give me an address because neither of us had a pen or paper. He seemed really happy at the prospects of getting some photos of the "Holy Man" praying at The Wall at Passover. However, he never called. So, I guess if he reads this, he can see some of the photos he missed.

Foto Friday: Kinda, But Not Exactly

Inside the New Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem, there's this restaurant,...well it's kinda restaurant, but not exactly.

Foto Friday: The Ad I'm Waiting For

Egged, the largest public transportation company in Israel has started to increase their revenue stream by expanding their on-bus advertising. I wonder if it has expanded enough to include the Yeshua website. Even if their policy theoretically allowed advertisements like the one above, I doubt they could afford to actually allow it, as I'm certain those particular buses would be vandalized at a cost far greater than the income such an advertisement would generate.

Below, are some of the current advertising campaigns moving about town on Egged buses.

Giving Thanks

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." - I Thessalonians 5:18

During our recent stay in the States, Grace had many opportunities to develop a taste for spicy Tex-Mex food. I was surprised at how she was attracted to chips and salsa, but she didn't shy away from it, even when it burned her taste buds. A love for the taste of Tex-Mex was born, which thankfully, isn't impossible to satisfy here in Israel.

Since it had been over a month since we had Tex-Mex, Colleen decided to prepare soft-tacos for dinner. There are a couple of companies that import flour tortillas and hot sauce and the rest of the ingredients are readily available, which makes it a fairly easy effort to enjoy a familiar taste from Texas.

After we had anxiously taken our places to partake of such a fine treat, I asked Grace if she wanted to give thanks for our meal. She quickly agreed and said, "Jesus, thank you for the food. Thank you for the meat and lettuce. Thank you for chips, and for sauce I don't like."

Colleen and I could barely keep our laughter behind our big smiles, but we did. It sounded so funny: "...thank you for sauce I don't like." Now that I've had some time to get past the funny part of what she prayed, I realize that she modeled something for me: to be thankful for what the Lord provides for me, even when I don't like it.

The Lord works in our lives in many ways to make us more like Jesus. And, as Colleen had provided particular food items for Grace's nourishment, the Lord sometimes provides hardships or other things we don't like for our benefit. The question is: Do we say, "Jesus, thank you for the hardships that I don't like?"

Memorial Day 2007 in Israel

Memorial Day in Israel is an unusual experience. As one who has studied modern Israeli history, I'm fully aware of the human cost that has been absorbed by this small nation in her effort to survive in this neighborhood. And the traditional observance here, seems to keep that cost in the forefront of the minds of Israel's citizens.

Since the first moments of her existence she has been in a battle for survival. Actually, that battle for survival started well before David Ben Gurion announced the independent statehood of the modern state of Israel on May 14, 1948. Since that monumental announcement, Israel has been engaged against her enemies with a formal war in each decade: 1948, War of Independence; 1956, The Sinai Campaign; 1967, The Six Day War; 1973, The Day of Atonement War; 1982 The [First] Lebanon War; 1990, The [First] Gulf War*; and 2006, The [Second] Lebanon War.

Though objective "experts" generally suggest that Israel was the victor in all these wars, except perhaps the 2006 Lebanon War, the cost in human life has been heavy. And Memorial Day is dedicated to the memory of those who gave their lives in military service to this country.

It is observed differently, and I think more personally in Israel, than I have noticed in the United States. All across the nation, during Memorial Day, the air raid sirens will sound twice in an unbroken, somber wail: One minute at 8:00 in the evening and then for two minutes the next morning at 11:00.** Everything comes to a halt when the siren begins. Cars stop (even on the highway) and the occupants generally get out and stand at attention. Those on the streets, stop in their tracks and stand at attention. It is actually quite moving to see this in action.

In addition to the observance of a moment of personal silence during the sirens, throughout the day, there are memorial services in every community, as well as at every military cemetery. Places of entertainment are also closed and the radio stations play reflective, nationalistic songs, which help keep the public's thoughts sober and contemplative, and perhaps appreciative of the sacrifice of so many.

Another important way that Memorial Day is different in Israel than in the United States is that it is directly connected to Independence Day, which is the next day. So, as Memorial Day closes out at sunset, Independence Day, opens in all its splendor. It's as if the calendar testifies, "without sacrifice, there is no celebration." I like this better than the month long separation between the two days in the American calendar.

*At the request of President George H.W. Bush, Israel didn't actively participate in the 1990 Gulf War, though they did receive "retaliatory" scud missiles from Iraq.
** The Jewish day starts in the evening, the the first sound at 20:00 and the second at 11:00.

The New Generation

"We live in a generation now where dudes are chicks and chicks are dudes."

Leane Reyes, 16, a senior at Fresno (CA) High School explained why Cinthia Covarrubias has her vote for prom king.

A girl is being selected as prom king? Possibly. In an effort to avoid litigation, the school's lawyers recommended that the administrators of Fresno High School reverse their decision to allow Cinthia to be considered only for prom queen and not king. They did. And she is now in the running for prom king.

Is this representative of what we have to look forward to from the new generation?

The whole story is here.

The '08 Presidential Candidates Speak

The United States Supreme Court just upheld the law commonly known as the Partial Birth Abortion Ban and the major 2008 presidential candidates have all offered their reaction to the court's decision.

However, before I let them speak for themselves, I think it is appropriate to give some background to the "partial birth abortion" procedure.

For the purpose of the law to ban partial birth abortion, the US Congress defined a partial birth abortion as,

"An abortion in which the person performing the abortion, deliberately and intentionally vaginally delivers a living fetus until, in the case of a head-first presentation, the entire fetal head is outside the body of the mother, or, in the case of breech presentation, any part of the fetal trunk past the navel is outside the body of the mother, for the purpose of performing an overt act that the person knows will kill the partially delivered living fetus; and performs the overt act, other than completion of delivery, that kills the partially delivered living fetus. (18 U.S. Code 1531)" [Emphasis added]

Wikipedia has a fairly comprehensive entry titled "Intact Dilation and Extraction," (a.k.a. partial birth abortion and PBA) that outlines the historical, medical and legal background of this controversial procedure. Additionally, Wikipedia's entry, Partial-Birth Abortion Act Ban, provides a good summary of the issues that surround the law itself.

The National Right To Life organization offers a series of slides that provide a visual overview of the PBA procedure. This set of 5 black and white illustrations are fairly simple, but give an objective representation of what happens when a mother chooses to abort her late term baby. WARNING: Though the slides are simple and without sensationalism, they may be very disturbing and probably very enlightening to most people.

Other links that I think offer helpful insight to the PBA procedure are:
The Naitonal Right to Life
Priests for Life

Now that you have had a chance to be informed about the PBA procedure, I offer the presidential hopeful's thoughts about the US Supreme court's decision to uphold the ban on PBA.

John Edwards
John Edwards for President

Apr 18, 2007

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Senator John Edwards released the following statement about today's 5-4 Supreme Court ruling upholding the federal abortion ban.

"I could not disagree more strongly with today's Supreme Court decision. The ban upheld by the Court is an ill-considered and sweeping prohibition that does not even take account for serious threats to the health of individual women. This hard right turn is a stark reminder of why Democrats cannot afford to lose the 2008 election. Too much is at stake - starting with, as the Court made all too clear today, a woman's right to choose." [Emphasis added]

[According to this press release, Senator Edwards believes it is vitally important that Democrats win the 2008 election so that they can preserve a woman's right to choose to have her baby partially delivered before killing it.]

Rudy Giuliani

"The Supreme Court reached the correct conclusion in upholding the congressional ban on partial birth abortion," Giuliani said in a statement on the 5-4 decision. "I agree with it." [Emphasis added]

[According to this article, when Giuliani ran for Senate in 2000, he said he would not vote to restrict a woman’s right to undergo the procedure [PBA]. So, one must wonder if Rudy has had a genuine change of heart, or an expedient, politically motivated one.]

Hillary Clinton
From the Senate: Statement on Supreme Court's Gonzales v. Carhart Decision

4/18/2007

Washington, DC -- "This decision marks a dramatic departure from four decades of Supreme Court rulings that upheld a woman's right to choose and recognized the importance of women's health. Today's decision blatantly defies the Court's recent decision in 2000 striking down a state partial-birth abortion law because of its failure to provide an exception for the health of the mother. As the Supreme Court recognized in Roe v. Wade in 1973, this issue is complex and highly personal; the rights and lives of women must be taken into account. It is precisely this erosion of our constitutional rights that I warned against when I opposed the nominations of Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito." [Emphasis added]

[In discussions like this, I always wonder about the rights and lives of the children, the most vulnerable and unwilling participant of this activity. In this case of PBA, we're talking about a live baby that has it's head all the way outside the mother's body; or, in the case of a forced breach birth, has all of it's body save it's head outside the mother's body. ]

Sam Brownback

"I am very pleased that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled to uphold the ban on partial birth abortions. This ban was enacted to put an end to one of the most grotesque forms of abortion, and it is completely in line with the respect for life that is at the very heart of our Constitution. This is a great step forward for our nation’s citizens, born and unborn.” [Emphasis added]

Barak Obama

'I strongly disagree with today’s Supreme Court ruling, which dramatically departs from previous precedents safeguarding the health of pregnant women. As Justice Ginsburg emphasized in her dissenting opinion, this ruling signals an alarming willingness on the part of the conservative majority to disregard its prior rulings respecting a woman’s medical concerns and the very personal decisions between a doctor and patient. I am extremely concerned that this ruling will embolden state legislatures to enact further measures to restrict a woman's right to choose, and that the conservative Supreme Court justices will look for other opportunities to erode Roe v. Wade, which is established federal law and a matter of equal rights for women." [Emphasis added]

[Please allow me a few questions Mr. Obama: Would it matter to you if the baby was "aborted" one hour after full delivery? Would it matter to you if a mother and father agreed to kill their 2-year old daughter because she was terribly inconvenient to their desired lifestyle, or because they realized they can't love her the way a child deserves to be loved? Should the government interfere in the very personal decisions between parents? What if they asked a doctor to be involved? Should the presence of a doctor prevent the government's interference in the very personal decisions between a doctor and patients. I wonder why I don't ever hear about equal rights for the most vulnerable among us. ]

Tom Tancredo
Tancredo Applauds Supreme Court Decision to End Late Term Abortions

4/17/2007 Contact: Alan Moore 703.255.9898

(Washington, D.C.) Congressman Tom Tancredo (R- CO) rejoiced over today’s Supreme Court decision, ending partial birth abortions. In these abortions, usually performed late in a pregnancy, the infant’s skull is crushed and extracted from the womb.

Today the Supreme Court put an end to this barbaric practice of infanticide, Tancredo said. One can only hope this is the first step towards ending the tragedy of abortions.

This ruling, won by a 5-4 margin, is the first major victory for pro-life activists since Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito were appointed to the Supreme Court. Both of them voted in the majority, along with Justices Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, and Anthony Kennedy.

Congressman Tancredo concluded by saying, I am pleased the Court has finally begun to address the moral and intellectual travesty of Roe vs. Wade. [Emphasis added]

Mitt Romney

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Kevin Madden (857) 288-6390

Boston, MA - Today, Governor Mitt Romney issued the following statement praising the U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act:

"Today, our nation's highest court reaffirmed the value of life in America by upholding a ban on a practice that offends basic human decency. This decision represents a step forward in protecting the weakest and most innocent among us." [Emphasis added]

John McCain

For Immediate Release
April 18, 2007 Contact: Danny Diaz 703-650-5550

"Cherish The Sanctity Of Life:" Statement By Senator McCain


ARLINGTON, VA - U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released the following statement:

"Today's Supreme Court ruling is a victory for those who cherish the sanctity of life and integrity of the judiciary. The ruling ensures that an unacceptable and unjustifiable practice will not be carried out on our innocent children. It also clearly speaks to the importance of nominating and confirming strict constructionist judges who interpret the law as it is written, and do not usurp the authority of Congress and state legislatures. As we move forward, it is critically important that our party continues to stand on the side of life." [Emphasis added]

In reality, I don't think there is any significant difference between a late-term partial birth abortion and a late-term enutero abortion. In both cases, a living child, has its life taken from it. I guess the PBA "seems" more ghastly because the child is so close to being outside the mother's body, thus reaching the arbitrary point of medical and legal protection.

What Would You Say?

What would you say if this 10 year-old boy told you “[bad] things happen to you because you don’t wear a kipa (a.k.a. yarmulke or skullcap) and eat kosher food”? That’s what happened to me.

I had occasion to be at his school and he befriended me while I was waiting for his principal. His school is a private, religious, elementary school with an enrollment of about 80.

To say that I was the odd man out would be a dramatic understatement. Although I made a special effort to dress in long pants and a hat before going there, I was clearly the outsider, with no chance of ever fitting in. However, he was friendly and conversational. The other kids mostly stared at me, much like I do a strange fish featured on the National Geographic Channel.

He told me that his class had just finished studying the book of Joshua, so I asked him to give me the short story version of Joshua. He started regaling me with a Midrashic story of Joshua beating up three thieves. He enjoyed doing karate chops and shadow punches as he mimicked Joshua’s clear and overwhelming victory over the bad guys. I enjoyed seeing his excitement, though I was disappointed that he didn't include anything about Joshua from the Bible in his summary.

During our conversation, it was clear that, in spite of his willingness to engage me in conversation, he, like the rest of his classmates, viewed me as an outsider, too. I didn’t look like him, therefore, it was obvious that I didn’t eat like him either. His comments revealed that the two criteria he used to determine my standing before HaShem (God) were my dress (especially the type of head covering) and my food.

He was surprised to find out that we actually buy kosher food. (It’s not so hard in Israel. In fact, it is more difficult to buy non-kosher food here.) However, it only took him one more question to reveal that we don’t “really” buy kosher food: we don’t buy food authorized as kosher by his particular group. “If it isn’t [a particular kosher stamp], it is not really kosher. They just trick people like you with all the other kosher stamps,” he said with complete assurance.

Though the hat I had chosen to wear allows me entrance to the Western Wall in Jerusalem, it wasn’t an approved head cover in his world. After all, it wasn’t a black kipa like he wears. However, there is still hope for me: If I stop eating non-kosher food and wear a black kipa, bad things will stop happening to me.

While I wouldn’t expect a ten year-old to see the irony of this conversation, I didn’t miss it. When I asked him how many brothers and sisters he has, he said, “I have three sisters, but I only say two because the youngest [an infant] is about to go to heaven.” (I found out later that his youngest sister has a serious heart problem and he has 4 brothers.) The problems I was there to speak with the principal about weren’t even on the “problem scale” compared to the death of an infant.

It never occurred to him that the proper head cover and kosher stamp hadn’t prevented bad things from happening to his family. The only thing he could clearly see is that I was an outsider invading his world, which must be the reason for my problems.

Questions:
1. How would you respond to his conclusions? Would you challenge him or simply not accede to his position?
2. How would you offer him encouragement and hope regarding his sister’s health condition?
3. How would you share the gospel with him?

Don't Be All Nice!

2 Timothy 2:24-26 - And a sevant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him; to do his will.

Once I received a call to help distribute New Testaments to convention goers in Tel Aviv. By God’s grace, “we” were able to distribute a couple hundred New Testaments (at least twice that many the previous night) before the professional anti-missionaries arrived. Still, before the pros got on the scene, we had a number of “negative” encounters with people who were angry about our activities.

One encounter, in particular, was with one of the civilian security guards. He was screaming all the usual things at one of the members of our group: “Get out of here with your foreign stuff! This is the Holy Land, land of the Jews not Christians. What you’re doing is illegal. I’m going to call the police.”

I usually learn something on these outings and God was generous to me once again. As I watched this encounter between "our guy" and the angry, armed-guard I noted a few things:

First, “our guy” spoke to the angry man in Hebrew, but the angry man always responded in English. Not because he couldn’t speak Hebrew, but rather to try to persuade the on-lookers that “our guy” was bringing a foreign religion to the Jewish people. This was a mostly unsuccessful, but interesting tactic for sure.

Second, “our guy” never raised his voice or tried to compete with the angry man. He simply smiled and spoke very calmly, responding to each of his complaints. The fact that “our guy” was calm and polite eventually caused the angry man to snap: In desperation, and apparently referring to 2 Tim 2:24, he shouted, “Don’t be all nice!!" “Our guy” simply smiled and walked a few steps away from the angry man.

If those who are vocally (sometimes physically) opposing our efforts are not professionals, they generally give up in frustration if we don’t engage them in loud arguments. Smiling really seems to take the air out of their sails.

At the same event mentioned above, I had a military security guard opposing me. He, too, was frustrated that I never got heated up. After about 20 minutes of unsuccessfully trying to persuade me, he moved to others from our group. He was supposed to be providing security for this event, but he spent about an hour trying to convince us how wrong we were for handing out New Testaments. Finally, in frustration he went and sat in the shade and pouted. Now that was a cute site: a soldier armed with an M16, sitting and pouting like a small child. His spirits lifted, though, when the “professionals” arrived.

Interestingly, it is not uncommon for bystanders who don’t agree with our message to defend our actions. What an interesting sight to see: unbelievers loudly arguing our case with those who oppose us. It seems that the more we smile and stay calm in the midst of being shouted at, the more unbelievers come to our defense.

We are to correct our opponents in a spirit of humility (2 Tim 2:25). Clearly, this is easier said than done. The flesh, my flesh, screams for the opportunity to send a zinger back at people who are saying all manner of filthy things against me and Jesus. (Grammatically the order of “me and Jesus” is wrong, I know, but I wanted to be accurate in portraying how the flesh sees things: ME first.) However, God desires, even demands that we respond to our opponents in humility.

The answer to this dilemma is found in Galatians 5:16-17: “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”

Our objective in humbly correcting our opponents is to see them repent (2 Tim 2:25-26). Please note, however, that it is not us who brings them to repentance, but God who grants repentance. This is God’s work and he desires to use humble tools to accomplish His work. The emphasis should not be on our labor/efforts, but on God’s grace in bringing a sinner to repentance. Often, however, during large outreach efforts, one can hear “our guys” standing around conversing about the labor instead of God’s grace. Perhaps this is a sign that we are not as humble as we should be.

We must keep in mind that the “bad guys” are ensnared by the devil and are being held captive by him to do his will (2 Tim 2:26). And he clearly hates the distribution of God’s word/truth in any form. This is a spiritual battle.

A Suitable Helpmate

Genesis 2:18 - Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him."

I have been blessed with a helpmate that is suitable for me; and the man in the photo below seems to have been blessed with a sutiable helpmate as well.

What Would You Think If . . .

What would you think if you received a note from your pastor with the following “prayer”?

Our Father, who art in Lawrence,
Hallowed be thy Game.
Thy bracket come.
Thy upset will be done, In Syracuse
as it is in Allen Field House.
Give us this day our deserved game.
And forgive us our turnovers,
As we forgive Roy who double-crossed
against us.
And lead us not into defeat,
But deliver us from East Coast bias,
For Kansas is the basketball kingdom,
And the tradition,
And the glory,
Forever and ever,
Amen

Thankfully, my pastor didn’t send this out, but I did receive it from somebody’s pastor.

My initial thought was of the Old Testament story of Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1-2 NKJV):

Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them to do. So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

I realize it is “that time of year” when Americans are swept up in the excitement of the NCAA basketball tournament. In fact, there might not be a more exciting season of sport than that of the “Final Four.” However, “prayers” such as the one above offered by a pastor and Kansas Jayhawk fan seem to go beyond propriety, at least, in my mind.

I doubt very much if said pastor would really pray such a prayer, and I assume he was just having fun when he sent this one. But, is the pattern of prayer that Jesus offered the disciples something we should have fun with?

I think Leviticus 10:3 answers my question:

And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke, saying:‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.”

Security at Ben Gurion Airport

Todd Bolen pointed my attention to an article in Ha’aretz, an Israeli newspaper, which detailed the trials of going through security at Ben Gurion airport as an Arab. While reading Musa Budeiri’s article, I found myself nodding and grinning an “I’ve been through that” smile. Below are some of my own experiences with security at Ben Gurion Airport.

Disclaimer: In no way am I suggesting I have gone through the scrutiny that Arabs normally do. In fact, on numerous occasions at Ben Gurion, I’ve said, “I sure wouldn’t want to be an Arab trying to go through here.” I just can’t imagine the indignity that Arabs routinely suffer there.

In January 2007, after a 10-day trip to Israel to renew our family’s residence visas, I made my way to my security interview before my return flight to the USA. I arrived early, so I was one of the first in line for my flight, which turned out to be a good thing.

I’ve been in Israel long enough that I do my security interviews in Hebrew. It hasn’t always been that way for fear of misunderstanding a question and mistakenly confessing to something I didn’t do. I don’t remember when I decided to switch from English to Hebrew, but I’m sure my thought was that it would help the security folks feel more at ease and realize that I’m assimilating, thus making the process a little more comfortable for all of us, them and me.

I also assume that accompanied with my Hebrew, 10 years of legal residence in Israel should be helpful. Furthermore, it seems to me that my special residence status as clergy would be helpful, not to mention that for several years now I have been the head of Israeli delegations traveling abroad. I’m the head baseball coach of the Israeli national baseball team.

However, none of those assumptions were true on my most recent departure through Ben Gurion. The young lady who initially greeted me in the security line was friendly enough. She was surprised that I spoke to her in Hebrew, but didn’t possess an Israeli passport.

I’m not sure how that particular fact registered on her “suspicious meter,” but it didn’t take long for my answers to warrant a higher authority. We went through the normal introductory questions: “You speak Hebrew? Don’t you have an Israeli passport? What about an identity card? Where do you live? Where in Jerusalem? “

After the initial “how do you do’s,” the questions got more serious: “Where did you learn Hebrew? What do you do here? There’s baseball in Israel? There are Jews who believe in Jesus in Israel? How long have you lived here? Why Israel? Why are you traveling now? Who paid for your ticket? There’s baseball in Israel? Where? Where is your congregation? Can you give me some names of people in your congregation?”

“Hmmm,” she said before adding, “wait here” as she turned and walked away. Having gone through this drill several times over the years, I wasn’t surprised and patiently waited for another security agent to come and ask the same questions. That is customary. Apparently, they’re checking to see if I’ll offer the same answers if the questions are asked in a little different way or order.

By this time the line had grown fairly long behind me and I was starting to feel smug that I had arrived before all those people. However, though I was standing at the front of the line waiting for my second interview, people started to go around me, placing their luggage on the x-ray machine and then moving on to the check in counter. I tried to be patient as I waited, expecting each security agent that approached to stop in front of me. But for more than 30 minutes, none did and my patience lessened as each agent passed me in pursuit of someone else to interview - someone in line behind me!

Finally, an agent holding my passport stopped in front of me. In English, he introduced himself as the manager of security while my initial interrogator stood slightly behind him. “Wow! I must really rate, if they’re calling in management so quickly,” I thought. Well, . . . not exactly. Following my lead, he switched to Hebrew and asked the same questions. He was perplexed about a pastor coaching baseball, but we got that cleared up fairly quickly. He apologized for the delay and directed me to the (now) long line of people waiting for the x-ray machine.

I humbly pushed my cart to the back of the line and waited for the opportunity to load my belongings on the belt. For some people, the x-ray machine is the last stop in security. I’m not one of them. After gathering my bags on the other end of the large machine, I continued on to the next stop: The chemical sniffer.

“The chemical sniffer” is a high-tech station where a security agent takes a cotton swab and drags it across every part of the suspect’s body and belongings. I say “suspect” because by this point in the process even the most innocent persons start to question their own innocence. Undoubtedly, the Arabs at the station next to me were getting a more intrusive examination than I was, but it was hard to determine where my agents were cutting corners. My computer and camera bags were swabbed and sniffed, sent back to the x-ray, re-swabbed and sniffed upon their return, and placed at adjacent stations on the counter in front of me.

Divide and conquer seemed to be their modus operandi as two clerks began to carelessly dump x-thousand dollars worth of electronics on the counter. “Stop!” I demanded. “One at a time. I need to watch you and help you unpack that stuff.” My patience had been exhausted by this point, and it was obvious to everyone nearby. They complied with my demand: one clerk disappeared while the other allowed me to lead in the disassembly process. Once everything had been removed from my camera bag, each piece was further investigated and swabbed while the bag went back to x-ray. After an “all-clear” was given to my Nikon collection, the same process was followed for my computer bag, except that the laptop made a trip to “the back” – wherever that is – while the bag made a return visit to the x-ray machine and sniffer. While I have some ideas about what was taking place in the 15 minutes that they had my laptop out of my sight, I’ll not speculate here. Upon my computer’s reappearance, I was told that I would not be able to take my battery with me. But he didn’t simply mean that it had to be checked with my luggage, he meant it couldn’t go on the same flight. At first, I understood him to say my computer would be left behind, which gave me a flashback to a horrible 1995 trip through Ben Gurion security. When I refused to leave the computer behind, it was explained that only the battery would be delayed. I relented and signed the paperwork for the box.

My handlers were very polite – even apologetic, at times – throughout the process, but I still had a trip to the “dressing room” and a personal escort through security and passport control awaiting me. The young man who took me to the dressing room was following protocol, but seemed embarrassed to have to do so with a national team coach.

In exchange for all the hassle, the security agents managed to check me in and get me a preferred seat on my flight to Newark and a claim check for my battery – even though it wouldn’t fly until the next day.

Finally, I was released on the other side of security and passport control: I was FREE and not late for my flight! When I arrived at my gate, I was still smarting from the security process, but happy to be boarding soon – unlike the crowd at the next gate whose flight to London had just been cancelled.

When I arrived in Houston, my final destination, I went directly to lost luggage and told my story to the Continental agent who had never heard of sending a computer battery separately. I gave her my claim ticket, but the flight indicated on them still had not taken off, so the number hadn’t been entered. I was hoping this would be different than a previous experience when I didn’t see my computer for 6 weeks. I was leaving Houston by car the next morning, so I asked the agent to forward my box to Odessa, which she was happy to do. The outcome: One week later, when we arrived in Odessa, my box was waiting at the airport.

Clearly, the security efforts at Ben Gurion are effective. And there’s no doubt that I feel more secure when I fly out of Ben Gurion, but I usually feel abused, too. Surely, there is a way to accomplish real security without non-Jewish passengers feeling so violated.

Perhaps in future entries, I will write about:
-How Ben Gurion security kept my computer for 6 weeks.
-How a wedding dress was a free pass through security.
-How my Israeli friend started yelling at El Al security because of how they were treating Colleen and me.